Description
This module covers issues relevant to the electronic sub-systems of spacecraft, including power systems, attitude sensing and control, mechanisms, reliability, data handling. Topics include:
- Comparison of spacecraft electronic systems to an equivalent ground based unit.
- Power Systems - Solar cells, solar arrays; storage cells; regulation dissipative and non-dissipative, regulators linear and switched mode, noise reduction, filters, supply monitoring, decentralised regulation.
- Attitude sensing and control - Earth and Sun sensors, charge coupled devices, wedge and strip, crossed anode, magnetic sensors, search coil and fluxgate, magnetic torquers.
- Mechanisms & Housekeeping - Control monitoring; optical and magnetic, pyrotechnic actuators, bridge techniques.
- Harnesses - EMC magnetic and electric coupling, shielding efficiencies for near and far field, EMC outgassing ports, connector types, low and high voltage, printed circuit board types.
- Reliability - Design techniques, heat dissipation, latch-up, interface and single point failures, housekeeping requirements, components specification, failure rates, fabrication, radiation testing, effect of radiation, displacement and ionisation damage, transients effects, designing for radiation protection.
- Analogue design - Charge sensitive amplifiers, noise considerations, practical circuits, pulse shaping circuits, unipolar and bipolar pulses, base line depression, pulse pile-up, low frequency measurements.
- Example sessions - Electrical hardware circuits for past and present space missions will be described and demonstrated utilizing the project’s development circuit boards.
Module deliveries for 2024/25 academic year
Last updated
This module description was last updated on 19th August 2024.
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